Tbace saeety-bar foe vehicles



R. ROLPH.

Whfetree.

No; 27,566. Patented Mar. 20. 18601 @Wy y@ UNITED STAR@ T FFIC,

REUBEN ROLIH, OF COVEN'IRY, NEW YORK.

TRACE SAFETY-BAR FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,566, dated March 20, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

13e it known that I, REUBEN RoLrrr, of Coventry, in the county ofChenango, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Self-Detaching Circuit or Single-Trace Safety Bars; and I do herebydeclare that the following is clear and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification.

Figure l, represents a top View. Fig. 2, shows an end elevation, Fig. 3shows detached vibrators.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willdescribe it in detail-like letters indicate the same parts in theseveral figures.

The nature of my invention consists in securing upon the cross bar ofthills for a one horse vehicle, or the pole for two horses, a plate ofmetal, having rings or staples, into which a round rod or shaft isfitted, it having two or more upright posts on which are rollers ofmetal, or gutta-percha, for the traces or draw-straps to be hitched,they being connected, or coupled at the cockeyes, pass around so as tomove laterally on the rollers, and will easily become detached when therod is unlocked. Also: as a modification of the same invention, to usetraces in the common way, I substitute in the place of the rollers, twolevers, with hooks on the outer ends they being connected together by alink or strap, longitudinal with the rod and placed upon th-e uprightposts as shown in (Fig. 3,) and hereafter described.

(A,) as seen in Fig. l, is the crossbar and section of a pair of thills,on which is firmly secured a plate of metal (13,) which answers thetwofold purpose of bracing the thills and holding the apparatus forhitching the traces to.

(0,) is a rod of sound iron ruiming longitudinal over the plate (13,)the width of the thills, or can be placed on a pole the proper lengthfor two horses. On the rod (C,) are two posts (c, 0,) near each end fora single harness, and two additional for double, on which are metal orgutta-percha rollers (a, L,) which the trace straps (1),) pass around soas to render freely on the rollers, they being connected or coupledtogether at the cockeyes.

On the plate (13,) in the rear of the rollers (c, 0,) are perpendicularpost and similar rollers (5, 5,) the top of the posts have a head (d,(L) which extend over suflicient to bear on the posts (c, c), leaving aspace between the two rollers for the traces (1),) which are secured inthat position by fastening the rod ((1,) which is effected by the lever(13,) on the side of the thill, by the sliding bolt e). The rod (0,) issecured to the plate (13,) by staples (f, 70,) through which it passes,and is allowed to turn sufficient to liberate instantly the traces (1),)when the lever (E) is released by drawing the sliding bolt (e).

In Fig. 3 the vibrators (G, G,) are made of metal, with hooks (g, g,) onthe outer end to hitch traces to in the usual manner. They are made t0slip on to the posts (c, 0,) on the rod (6,) the long part extendingtoward the center and are connected together by a lioint link, or strap(151,) in such manner as to allow them to vibrate sutliciently tocorrespond with the motion of the animal. In the case of a fright, orany accident, the horse can be liberated instantly from the vehicle, thesame as the other mode of connecting the traces, the vibrators slippingoff the posts (c, 0,).

It will readily be seen, that my improved mode of attaching traces tovehicles, entirely dispenses with whiietrees, and in either constructionallows of sufficient vibration, while the metal plate strengthens theframe of the thills, no rattling or wearing of bolts, is much easierhitched up; and can be detached instantly at any time by a strap orstring attached to the sliding bolt, following the line of the thill, ashaft, to the vehicle, and being within reach of the driver and alsoaffords that very desirable condition of no half attachment ordetachment from which cause alone, half of the accidents occur.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The construction and arrangement of the metallic plate, andlongitudinal rod Cri across the thills, the upright posts, and rollers,between which continuous or connected traces are hitched so as to renderlaterally, the arrangement of the lever, and sliding bolt, to hold thetraces in position for draft, and admit of their being detachedinstantly, all in combination, as specied, .for the purposes set forth.

:2. I claim as a 'modification Of the above, the double connectedvibrators, for bitching 10 traces to vehicles as described for thepurposes Set forth and herein specified.

REUBEN ROLPH.

Vitnesses EDW. F. BROWN, J. B. WOODRUFF.

